Inter were left with a great bitterness after their Europa League final defeat to Sevilla but Samir Handanovic believes it can be the starting point for more positive things.
The Nerazzurri last won a trophy in 2011 and in his pre-match news conference Inter captain Handanovic said securing the silverware would enable the club to head back towards their previous heights.
They appeared to be on course to do just that when Romelu Lukaku fired home a penalty after being felled by Diego Carlos in the fifth minute in Cologne, before a pair of headers from Luuk de Jong put Sevilla in front.
Diego Godin restored parity before the break but Diego Carlos saw his overhead kick deflected into the back of the net by Lukaku with 16 minutes remaining.
Sevilla keeper Y…
Paris Saint-Germain blew a third chance to claim the Ligue 1 title as they slumped to a morale-sapping 3-2 loss at Nantes on Wednesday.
Thomas Tuchel watched from the stands as a patchwork side ravaged by injury failed to protect Dani Alves stunning opener and fell to a second straight defeat, having been thrashed 5-1 at second-placed Lille at the weekend.
There was perhaps more embarrassment in conceding three times to a relegation-threatened team they had beaten in each of their past 14 top-flight meetings.
Diego Carlos did the bulk of the damage for Nantes with two goals either side of Majeed Waris tap-in in the 44th minute.
And, though substitute Metehan Guclu grabbed a late consolation for PSG, their eventual celebrations of a sixth title in seven se…
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Following contrasting results in the FA Cup, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool will meet for a Premier League clash at the City Ground on Saturday afternoon.
Forest suffered elimination from the cup with a 1-0 defeat to Manchester United in their fifth-round match, while Liverpool enjoyed further knockout success with a convincing 3-0 victory over Southampton.
Nottingham Forest
After requiring extra time to overcome Blackpool in a third-round replay followed by a victory over Bristol City in their fourth-round rematch, Nottingham Forest reached the last 16 of the FA Cup, where they faced their toughest challenge yet against Manchester United.
Despite Nuno Espirito Santo s side putting in a spirited effort and testing And…
Mesut Ozil said he would bear no grudges after his Arsenal career went into the nosedive that led him to join Fenerbahce.
In a letter addressed to Gunners , Ozil recalled the big mix of ups and downs during his time with the Premier League club, whom he joined from Real Madrid in September 2013.
The midfielder s long-trailed switch to the Turkish Super Lig was confirmed on Sunday.
Ozil detailed his love for Arsenal, his connection with the local community and his pride in seeing youngsters from the club s Hale End academy reach the first team, and promised he would be a Gunner for life .
But the German World Cup winner also made reference to his recent time in the wilderness at Arsenal, after being left out of this season s Premier League and Europa Lea…
Real Madrid are LaLiga champions for the second time in three seasons – and a 35th time overall – after beating Espanyol 4-0 on Saturday to clinch top spot.
Los Blancos have led the way pretty much throughout a campaign that has seen erstwhile champions Atletico Madrid and a Lionel Messi-less Barcelona struggle for consistency.
Indeed, Sevilla proved Los Blancos biggest threat for large parts of this season, but Carlo Ancelotti s men never truly looked in danger of relinquishing their grip on another title.
Madrid s latest triumph came in Ancelotti s first season back at the club, with the Italian becoming the first head coach to win each of Europe s top five leagues.
While Ancelotti deserves plenty of credit, the title stroll would not have been po…
Marcelo Bielsa has been nominated for The Best FIFA Men s Coach award after an impressive year saw him become further adored by Leeds United supporters.
The former Argentina coach guided Leeds back to the Premier League last season after 16 years outside the top flight, racking up 93 points in a superb Championship season.
Bielsa, 65, has since overseen a solid start to the new campaign in the Premier League, securing draws against Manchester City and Arsenal as Leeds sit 14th in the table.
But while results in 2020 have been impressive, does Bielsa really warrant inclusion on a five-man FIFA shortlist that also includes Champions League winner Hansi Flick, Premier League champion Jurgen Klopp, LaLiga winner Zinedine Zidane and Europa League victor Julen Lopete…
Barcelona are interested in signing Milan Skriniar from Inter Milan in the summer transfer window, according to . The report has claimed that Inter and Slovakia international centre-back Skriniar is among the defenders that La Liga giants Barcelona are following in case they fail to secure the services of Jules Kounde from Spanish rivals Sevilla in the summer transfer window.
Former La Liga and UEFA Champions League winners Barcelona are keen on signing Kounde this summer, but they are facing stiff competition from Chelsea. The Blues’ offer to Sevilla and to the player himself is superior to that from Barcelona, who are now looking at alternatives in case they are unable to bring the France international centre-back to Camp Nou this summer.
Skriniar has been on the bo…
Juventus have ruled out a move for Manchester United s Anthony Martial after being boggled by the cost of a deal to bring in the Frenchman.
Club chief executive Maurizio Arrivabene said the expense that would be involved in recruiting the forward meant it was a non-starter.
Martial was absent from United s squad for Saturday s 2-2 Premier League draw with Aston Villa, which interim manager Ralf Rangnick explained was down to the player not wanting to be included.
However, the 26-year-old denied that was the case, and he and Rangnick appear to have resolved their issues.
Ex-Monaco man Martial has scored 79 goals since his United debut in September 2015 – only Marcus Rashford (91) has scored more for the club in that period.
But he has played jus…
Italy were destroyed by their shock defeat to North Macedonia, with Giorgio Chiellini saying their failure to qualify for the World Cup opened a great void .
The reigning European champions fell to a surprise 1-0 defeat at home to North Macedonia, with former Palermo attacker Aleksandar Trajkovski netting a surprise winner for the visitors in the 92nd minute.
Italy have now failed to qualify for two straight World Cups. They will not be able to feature on that stage until 2026, with their only win in the competition since they triumphed in 2006 coming against England in the 2014 group stage.
The defeat to North Macedonia marked an incredible turnaround in fortunes for Italy, who won Euro 2020 as part of a 37-game undefeated streak that ended in October – …
Republic of Ireland defender Enda Stevens has completed a move to Stoke on a 12-month contract after his Sheffield United deal expired.
The 32-year-old, who twice helped the Blades win promotion to the Premier League during a six-year spell at Bramall Lane, has linked up with the Potters ahead of Saturday’s pre-season friendly at Notts County and will travel to Spain for the club’s Costa Blanca training camp.
Stevens told the Sky Bet Championship club’s website: “I am delighted to be here and really excited to work with the gaffer and the boys this week before heading out to Spain for the training camp.
“It feels like the club is at the start of an ambitious project and I see another chance to be successful.
“Stoke City is a club of strong sta…